Question: Solve for $x$ : $5x - 8 = 8x + 7$
Answer: Subtract $5x$ from both sides: $(5x - 8) - 5x = (8x + 7) - 5x$ $-8 = 3x + 7$ Subtract $7$ from both sides: $-8 - 7 = (3x + 7) - 7$ $-15 = 3x$ Divide both sides by $3$ $\dfrac{-15}{3} = \dfrac{3x}{3}$ Simplify. $-5 = x$